Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Ethics, Honesty and Cheating - Striking Blows For or Against?

Recently, Dear Abby received a letter from a student that was surrounded by valedictorian candidates that routinely cheated. The response has been overwhelming. Well, what do you know, there are honest people that believe in ethics and honesty in America. I just wish I could find them or evidence of them somewhere other than a Dear Abby column.

Too often, we pontificate on the virtues of ethics and honesty; of exposing wrongdoing when it is encountered; of standing up for what Superman called "truth, justice, and the American Way," then turn our heads or close our eyes when we see the very things we so eloquently rail against in the safe harbor of conversation. As I mentioned here, just once in every person's life, we need to find that one thing that makes our blood boil, that thing to which we stand and seethe, "No more! This shall not pass!"

A great quote was shared in today's column in response to this issue. It's something we should all consider posting in our homes, classrooms, churches, and anywhere else we can manage to get it up as a reminder.

"Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice." - Robert F. Kennedy